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The Browning Version

The Browning Version

Drama · 1994

Andrew Crocker-Harris is an embittered and disliked teacher of Greek and Latin at a British prep school. After nearly 20 years of service, he is being forced to retire for 'health reasons', and perhaps may not even be given a pension. The boys regard him as a Hitler, with some justification. His unfaithful wife Laura tries to hurt him in any way she can. Andrew must come to terms with his failed life and at least regain his own self-esteem.

Movie details

The Browning Version

“The greatest lessons in the life and the ones learned by heart.”

1994 Drama 1h 37m

Critical arithmetic

The consensus, allegedly.

IMDb

7.2 / 10

3.8K votes

Rotten Tomatoes

78 %

Tomatometer

TMDB

6.4 / 10

Community rating

External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.

Andrew Crocker-Harris is an embittered and disliked teacher of Greek and Latin at a British prep school. After nearly 20 years of service, he is being forced to retire for 'health reasons', and perhaps may not even be given a pension. The boys regard him as a Hitler, with some justification. His unfaithful wife Laura tries to hurt him in any way she can. Andrew must come to terms with his failed life and at least regain his own self-esteem.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Browning Version?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Mike Figgis

Written by

Ronald Harwood

Albert Finney

Albert Finney

Andrew Crocker-Harris

Greta Scacchi

Greta Scacchi

Laura Crocker-Harris

Matthew Modine

Matthew Modine

Frank Hunter

Julian Sands

Julian Sands

Tom Gilbert

Michael Gambon

Michael Gambon

Dr. Frobisher

Ben Silverstone

Ben Silverstone

Taplow

Jim Sturgess

Jim Sturgess

Bryant

Court is in session

Put The Browning Version on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Adrenaline Seeker

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.